Who’s hot, who’s not after the Dolphins’ comeback win over the Lions
The Dolphins improved to 5-3 for the third time in the last decade after a 31-27 comeback win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday.
Here’s a look at who’s hot — and who’s not — after the victory.
Who’s hot
▪ Tua Tagovailoa: The third-year quarterback looked much more comfortable in his second game back since his concussion. Tagovailoa totaled 401 yards and threw three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score to tight end Mike Gesicki with seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Dolphins needed their best effort from the offense after the defense gave up scores on each of the Lions’ first-half drives. Tagovailoa was calm and poised as he orchestrated the offense, finding his pass-catchers routinely against a Detroit defense that entered Sunday as one of the league’s worst units. As a franchise quarterback, there are games when your impact on the field is required more than usual. Sunday was that type of game and Tagovailoa rose to the occasion.
▪ Tyreek Hill: The extraordinary numbers Hill is putting up on a week-in, week-out basis are becoming routine but should not be glossed over. Hill’s 961 receiving yards are the third-most in the first eight games of a season in the Super Bowl era. And while Hill’s speed is his most captivating trait, his ability to make contested catches has also been underrated. Arguably Hill’s most important catch came on the team’s second drive. With the Dolphins already down 14-0, Tagovailoa lofted up a pass to Hill on third-and-13. Hill, 5-10, raised up over cornerback A.J. Parker and brought in the catch for a 36-yard gain. The Dolphins scored six plays later to stay within reach in a game where they needed a score on just about every drive.
▪ Jaylen Waddle: The first half of the 2022 season has shown that the arrival of Hill in South Florida wasn’t going to dim the light of Waddle after a standout rookie year. While Hill is on pace to shatter franchise — and potentially, league — records, Waddle is having a Pro Bowl-caliber year in his own right. Waddle’s two touchdown catches Sunday brings his total to a team-leading five scores. He also remains top five in the league with 727 receiving yards.
Who’s not
▪ Pass defense: The Dolphins defense was able to shut out the Lions in the second half but the first half featured a bevy of miscues and mistakes by the unit that Detroit took advantage of. The Lions scored on each of their five first-half possessions, moving the ball through the air against a secondary that once again had to make adjustments after safety Brandon Jones’ season-ending ACL injury. The Lions’ 321 passing yards were the second-most the Dolphins have allowed this season, only trailing Josh Allen’s 382 in Week 3.
▪ Discipline: The Dolphins had seven accepted penalties against them, which was the fourth-most in a game this season. However, in totality, they were flagged for 16 infractions, including several offsides penalties. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said monitoring where defensive players lined up was a point of emphasis in the week of preparation but “it didn’t get done.” The Dolphins were able to overcome it against a Lions team that committed their own share of mistakes — six accepted penalties — but Miami’s high number of penalties is one of the many things the team will look to correct ahead of a Week 9 road game against the Chicago Bears.
